Volunteer Ministers and the Help They Provide

Volunteer Minister Thailand Disaster Response

2011-12-13T13:29:00.001-08:00

Volunteer Ministers in Thailand are carrying on with relief to victims of the worst flooding to hit that country in 50 years.

While food waters are receding in many parts of the country, 16 central and four southern provinces are still affected, and flash floods and landslides again hit some of the southeastern provinces this week.

Distributing food and supplies to those in shelters and by boat to those stranded in their homes by the floods, the Volunteer Ministers from the Church of Scientology Mission, working in collaboration with other volunteer groups and agencies, have helped some 11,000 people.

Scientology Disaster Response Team in Ishinomaki, Japan

2011-11-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

In Ishinomaki, Japan, where 29,000 lost their homes last March from the earthquake and tsunami, the Scientology Disaster Response Team continues its work providing any service needed to make life a bit easier for those affected.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers visited a home for the elderly to provide companionship and Scientology assists—techniques developed by L. Ron Hubbard that address the spiritual and emotional factors in stress and trauma.

Scientology Disaster Response, Colombia

2011-11-11T11:25:00.000-08:00

The coordinator of Latin America Volunteer Ministers activities, himself a veteran of the Scientology Haiti relief effort, is in Colombia from his headquarters office in Mexico City to train and man a Scientology Disaster Response Team to provide relief in the wake of flooding in and around the northern coastal city of Cartagena, which has disrupted the lives of more than 94,000 Colombians, according to the Colombian Red Cross. Additionally, in Manizales, 100 miles west of Bogotá, 150 families were evacuated this week because of landslides.

Volunteer Ministers seminars were held this week at the Centro Cultural de Dianética in Bogotá to train volunteers to assists in these and other disasters.

To join the Colombia disaster response, fill out the disaster response form at the Scientology Volunteer Ministers website.

Volunteer Ministers Praised at Scientology Church Grand Opening in Twin Cities

2011-10-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

SCIENTOLOGISTS, GUESTS, STATE AND CITY OFFICIALS ASSEMBLED IN DOWNTOWN ST. PAUL, SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, FOR THE DEDICATION OF THE NEW CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY TWIN CITIES.

Scientologists, guests, state and city officials assembled in downtown St. Paul, Saturday October 22, for the dedication of the new Church of Scientology Twin Cities. (Event Images:http://www.ScientologyNews.org ). The Church stands at 505 Wabasha Street and was formerly home to the Science Museum of Minnesota. The acquisition of the 82,000-square-foot facility in the heart of St. Paul was necessitated by the meteoric growth of the resident Scientology community. The Church of Scientology Twin Cities is now the largest Scientology facility in the American Midwest and will serve parishioners from Wisconsin to the Dakotas.

Located just blocks from the State Capitol and St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Church is additionally adjacent to the famed Fitzgerald Theater and so forms an “historic square” of buildings in downtown St. Paul. The premises were carefully renovated to preserve its most memorable features, including the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Wabasha Street and the three-story atrium. Also faithfully preserved was the original 300-seat IMAX Theater, now to serve as the Scientology Chapel and community meeting ground for citizens of all denominations. >>

Peter Dunn: All in the Name of Help

2011-09-28T22:33:00.001-07:00

Australian Scientologist Peter Dunn has served as a Scientology Volunteer Minister in Haiti, Queensland, and Japan.

At 4 a.m. on March 11, 2011, the shock wave from the magnitude 9 earthquake that triggered a 30-foot tsunami off the northeast coast of Japan reached Australia—not as a physical blast but rather as a summons for Scientologist Peter Dunn to return to Japan and help in her time of need.

Dunn, a native of Adelaide who lives in Sydney, had spent the last few months volunteering in the December 2010 Queensland floods, helping residents of Grantham, the town hardest hit, clean up their homes and neighborhoods.

Having lived in Japan for several years when he served as a staff member at the Church of Scientology of Tokyo, Dunn’s strong affinity for the Japanese people and his sense of duty prompted his departure for Japan.

Described by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan as “the biggest crisis Japan has encountered in the 65 years since the end of World War II," the earthquake and tsunami left more than 20,000 dead or missing, causing an estimated 16.9 trillion yen ($220 billion) in damage and triggering the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Dunn, who also served for several months in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake, described the scene he encountered in Japan as very different from what he experienced in Port-au-Prince. Although the destruction was worse and more widespread than in Haiti, Japan rebounded, able to quickly leverage far more resources in the relief effort.

As is the custom of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, on arriving in Japan they asked what was needed and wanted and set about providing what was asked. They distributed food and water, worked on the search and rescue operation, and manned shelters. They even arranged bicycle donations so junior high school students could travel over roads still closed to cars and trucks to deliver food and supplies to ill, injured, and elderly residents in and around the city of Kesennuma.

While he was prepared to take on any task needed, Dunn is a Scientology spiritual counselor or auditor—“one who listens,” from the Latin audire, “to hear or listen.” So his main function in Japan was to provide Scientology assists. These are techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that relieve stress and emotional trauma and can speed physical recovery by addressing the spiritual factors in illness and injuries.

“At one shelter, a lady who couldn’t walk when we started rose after a five-minute assist feeling like she wanted to run,” says Dunn. “Another elderly woman was deeply disturbed and told me she expected to die soon. A week later, after daily assists, she had regained her will to live and her enthusiasm and she was bringing life and optimism back to the entire room of 30 survivors in the shelter where she was staying.”

Dunn is proud that in each disaster where he has served, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have addressed the task at hand with industry, willingness and persistence.

“It has been my honor to help hospital-bound amputees in Haiti, polite and gentle Japanese pensioners in homeless shelters, and rough, tough Aussie farmers,” says Dunn. “And each of them know by our actions that we have simply come to help.”

Introduced to Scientology in 1974 when a friend gave him a copy of Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought by L. Ron Hubbard, Dunn, now 61, found answers he’d long sought about the meaning and purpose of life. What he appreciates most from what he has gained in four decades as a Scientologist is the ability and opportunity to help.

The Scientology Volunteer Minister program was initiated by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1976. There are now hundreds of thousands of people trained in the skills of a Volunteer Minister across 185 nations.

News about the Scientology Volunteer Minister at Blog.VolunteerMinisters.Org!

The Work of the Volunteer Ministers Disaster Response in Ishinomaki, Japan, Continued

2011-09-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

One volunteer speaks of her experience on the Ishinomaki Volunteer Ministers Team and the effect it has had on her life.

It has been six months since I came to the disaster area. I have been working in the Ishinomaki team ever since.

There are always some foreign volunteers working with us, which can cause some troubles due to the differences in language and culture, particularly because I couldn’t speak English. Thanks to this team, however, I have learned to understand enough English to get by. I call it my “Disaster Overseas Education,” or “studying abroad in disaster areas.”

Many VMs of various backgrounds came to the disaster area—it was a team of unique and dynamic people.

___

Ironically, one thing I gained through this disaster was a better relationship with my father.

I always wanted to improve my relationship with my family, and I wanted to balance family with doing much more for society and humanity.

When the disaster struck I accomplished the second goal—I completely immersed myself in the Volunteer Minister activities. But at a certain point I realized I hadn’t spoken with my parents in quite some time.

I live in Nagano Prefecture, 240 km from my parents in Kyoto, and it sometimes happens that I don’t contact them for quite a while. So when I returned temporarily to Nagano from the disaster zone, I called my parents, only to learn that my 70-year-old father had retired in April.

I have never been able to talk casually with my father, and we rarely speak much when I call. So after talking over the phone, I wrote my parents a letter.

It had always been difficult for me to express my love to them—I even had the idea that I had hated my father but I expressed my gratitude to them—especially to my father—for working to provide for us for such a long time.

I was so surprised when I received a post card from my father in reply. I have written many letters to him—this is the first time he ever replied.

The post card was tightly filled with characters apologizing to me for having acted out of selfishness.

I was so happy to read it, I cried.

___

The need for help in the disaster zone continues.

Please join us in our Volunteer Ministers activities. There is a free shuttle bus from Tokyo. You will see what a positive influence you can have on people and society.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in action at the Scientology VM Blog

What are the Scientology Volunteer Ministers?

2011-09-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers (VMs) are the help force of the Church of Scientology, founded by Scientology-founder L. Ron Hubbard in the 1970s:

"A Volunteer Minister is a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others." — L. Ron Hubbard

VMs are trained in disaster response techniques but also in general administration and to give help to others in all situations in life. They VMs exist since the 1970s but after a "Wake Up Call" triggered off by the 9/11 terror acts they now number more than 203,000 all over the world. VMs are regularly despatched to disaster zones to give help, hundreds of thousands of man hours since 2001. They proudly call themselves the biggest disaster relief force on earth and I believe they are. Every VM is a volunteer who quits his or her job for several days, weeks or even months to help others in need.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers live by the motto: Something Can Be Done About It."

More information about the Volunteer Ministers are on their website. I recommend to check the news section to get an idea in which areas they work and how: http://blog.volunteerministers.org
There are also plenty of videos about the VMs on Youtube and also on the Scientology.org Video Channel. At every minute of the day Scientology Volunteer Ministers are active in dozens of disaster areas, most recently (Jan/Feb 2010) in Haiti, Japan and Chile. Check their site for updates and more info.

Scientology Volunteer Minister Returns to Haiti to Train Local First Responders

2011-09-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

Volunteer Minister Ayal Lindeman just returned to Spring Valley, New York, after training 100 community-based first responders in Haiti in the fundamentals of first aid, search and rescue techniques, simple solutions to contaminated drinking water, and basic Scientology assists, technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard that speed recovery by addressing the emotional and spiritual factors in illness and injury.

Lindeman, an LPN and 20-year veteran EMT who was a pivotal part of the initial Scientology Haiti Disaster Response, has continued his personal involvement in the recovery of the country by working closely with Haitian-American groups in the United States and by return visits to Haiti to coordinate activities and provide training.>>

A series of Volunteer Ministers Seminars Help More Than 5,000 in Bushenyi, Uganda

2011-09-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

This story from the Scientology Volunteer Ministers blog really caught my eye:

At the request of educators in the Bushenyi District of southwest Uganda, in May 2011 a team of Kampala-based Scientology Volunteer Ministers led by Mr. Pedaiah Paul M. Teba, Director of the World Light Caring Mission of Uganda, traveled the 200 miles from the nation’s capital to provide a series of seminars. >>

"A Volunteer Minister is a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of other -- L. Ron Hubbard

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour Bringing Positive Change to Mali

2011-08-22T12:53:00.001-07:00

It is said that when Sultan Mansa Musa made his pilgrimage from Mali to Mecca in the 14th century, he brought with him so much gold and treasure that for centuries the legend prevailed that the roofs of Timbuktu were covered with gold and its rivers ran over beds of precious metal—a far cry from the Mali of 2011, with 73 percent of its 14.5 million people living on less than a dollar a day.

The courses and seminars of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour in Mali provide tools to help overcome economic and educational barriers and their oppressive consequences.

A Mali student recently completed all 19 Volunteer Ministers courses at the Tour’s bright yellow tent, and wrote:

“These courses are the life and the love that a person in public life or a civil servant cannot do without. …[They] have given me the tools not only to mobilize people, but to organize them to perform the actions that lead to success. I am very thankful for having had the opportunity to learn basics which can be used to make dreams come true."

2011-08-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

“If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a VOLUNTEER MINISTER and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”

— L. Ron Hubbard
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE IN SOCIETY
Role of the Volunteer Minister

ANNOUNCEMENT: International Volunteer Minister Week! 20-27 August 2011

2011-08-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

August 20—27, 2011, has been designated International Volunteer Ministers Week in honor of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers whose work has become synonymous with unconditional help.

What happened over the past 10 years

Over the past 10 years, since 9/11/01, the bright yellow t-shirts and tents of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have become established symbols of hope in times of need.

While no one could have predicted the violence with which the events of 9/11 would rip our culture from its social veneer, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, saw clearly that it was time for Scientologists to redouble their efforts to aid Mankind in reversing society’s dwindling spiral that the cataclysm so suddenly and dramatically brought into focus.

A now legendary, internationally-issued Wake-Up Call inspired unprecedented response. On September 11, 2001 there were 6,000 Volunteer Ministers internationally. Today there are more than 350,000 trained in the technology and skills of Scientology Volunteer Ministers.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program was born in 1976 when Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, noting a tremendous downturn in the level of ethics and morality in society, and a consequent increase in drugs and crime, wrote, “If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a VOLUNTEER MINISTER and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”

Throughout the last 35 years, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have provided service in their communities and worldwide, volunteered in cavalcades and Goodwill Tours on five continents, and responded to 187 natural and manmade disasters including:

• Earthquakes in the United States, Japan, Greece, Peru, Chile, Russia, Italy, China, Turkey, El Salvador and Indonesia from 1995 to 2011, with major participation in the South Asian earthquake and tsunami of December 2004, the L’Aquila earthquake of 2009, the Haiti earthquake of 2010 and the Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

• Yearly and seasonal hurricane, cyclone and typhoon relief throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean, Indonesia and Thailand. Some 900 volunteers aided victims of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Volunteer Ministers also routinely rescue people and property from floods throughout the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Pakistan and India.

• Crisis zones, including displaced persons camps in Chechnya 1997, the 1999 Moscow theater siege, Zimbabwe during civil unrest in 2000, Ground Zero in New York and the Pentagon after 9/11, London after the bombing of 2005, Mumbai in the wake of terrorist attacks in 2006.

• In Australian bush fires, Southern California brushfires and at the site of the massive 2009 fire on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.

This year Volunteer Minister across 185 nations will honor this year's celebration with events, seminars and tours. Regular updates will be posted on http://blog.volunteerministers.org

Communication Video

2011-06-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

There's a very cool video on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers site that gives you tips on how to improve communication and how that can strengthen any aspect of your life.

They also offer a free course on communication skills.>>

DAVID SCATTERGOOD, ALL THE GOOD WE CAN DO

2011-06-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

The "Meet a Scientologist" section of www.ScientologyNews.org has this interesting article on a VM from Seattle:

David Scattergood is a Seattle, Washington, businessman and community leader. A Volunteer Minister of the Church of Scientology of Seattle, he helps organize disaster response whenever the need arises. He also takes an active role in coordinating volunteer actions for his state as a board member of WVOAD, Washington Volunteers Active in Disaster, where he is serving his second term as president.

Training as a Scientology Volunteer Minister in 2004, Scattergood’s concern for those devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita prompted him to join the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response Team in Louisiana. He was among the 900 Volunteer Ministers who provided assistance to police and other rescue workers and brought in and distributed supplies to those in need.>>

Better Soup and Assists: Report from Tokyo Headquarters

2011-04-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

17 April 2011: Report from Scientology Volunteer Ministers Heasquarters in Tokyo, Japan:

Today we helped 2,673 people and delivered 219 assists in Onagawa, Ishinomaki and Kesennuma. While we are expanding and sending teams to assess the damage and the state of the shelters in areas we have not yet visited, we continue delivering assist and helping the evacuees in any way we can.

The head of the Meiyukan shelter in Ishinomaki, who has gained a great deal from the assist the Volunteer Ministers have given him, asked us to teach him how to deliver assists himself, so he can start his own Volunteer Minister group. He and several of his friends learned the procedure and began giving assists to one another.

In Kesennuma, we arrived at a shelter today to a warm “good morning” from several evacuees who seem to be growing much more cheerful as the days go by. Our arrival was announced over the loud speaker in the school-turned-shelter so no one would miss out on receiving assists while we were there.

Several evacuees told one of our Volunteer Ministers that the food at the shelters was tasteless—weak miso soup, white rice and boiled vegetables. The Volunteer Minister promptly called Tokyo Volunteer Minister headquarters to arrange for some tastier dishes. The headquarters contacted a man who owns a supply company in the city, who donated a set of meals to the shelter that very day. We were able to distribute the meals to grateful evacuees along with other needed supplies such as diapers, shampoo and vitamins.

Some of our Volunteer Ministers have now been invited to stay at the Kaizo-ii Buddhist temple in Kesennuma, after the chief priest learned of the work we are doing to help the people of the area.

Volunteer Ministers Reporting from Japan

2011-04-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

Tokyo/Sendai

We just welcomed six new Volunteer Ministers to the Japan team! Four are headed to the disaster zone and two will work from the Tokyo headquarters.

We are also pleased to report that a new Volunteer Minister Logistics Base has now officially been established in Tokyo and provides working space for 30 Volunteer Ministers to handle logistics for the disaster areas. Volunteer Ministers arriving in Tokyo can settle and brief at the Base before deploying to the North of Japan.

Last week two Volunteer Ministers vans left Tokyo to deliver sleeping bags and mats to shelters in Onagawa and remain in Northern Japan for services. Both are now in high demand daily to deliver food and water to remote shelters around the city of Sendai.

Onagawa

Life seems to be starting up again here the last few days. When we came about 10 days ago, many people spent most of the day in bed. The feeling was one of grief.

On Friday we cleaned out the shelter building and regorganized spaces for each family! Everyone participated and we created the most amazing village out of cardboard in the shelter hall.

Today we got the elementary schools going again and also here life is finally beginning again.

Watari

Yesterday, 2 April 2011, our Volunteer Ministers in the Myiagi Prefecture split into two groups. One went to a shelter that had been set up in the Osaka Elementary and Junior High and the other went to Yoshida Elementary and Watari Elementary schools. In the past 48 hours we helped 2,026 people in these shelters, gave 617 assists* and trained 64 people in Volunteer Minister technology.

One man who was very upset received an assist. In recounting what happened to him when the tsunami hit, he suddenly began to chuckle. He realized, he said, “I can’t really do anything but laugh about it!”

One elderly woman received an assist in Shishiori Junior High School and told the Volunteer Minister with a huge smile on her face that she felt like she could “float down the stairs.”

A Volunteer Minister came across a boy in the shelter who looked bored, so she taught him how to deliver assists. The next thing she knew, he had helped four people with assists.

Also our translator Peter learned how to deliver assists and he was completely blown away that he could use this to help people. He’d never done anything like it before.

Kesennuma

Three young Volunteer Ministers went to Hashikami School in Kesennuma City and met with a teacher who welcomed them and invited them to deliver a lecture on Assists to 25 students. The students were interested throughout and at the lecture’s end, they grouped in seven Volunteer Minister teams and first delivered assists to each other and then to 175 refugees.

The students were amazed at what they were able to do with assist technology, especially when one woman who hadn’t been walking began doing so after an assist. The look on the student’s face was priceless. The brand new Volunteer Minister had only just learned about assists herself.

---

*Assist: L. Ron Hubbard developed numerous applications of his discoveries on the mental and spiritual aspects of a person's physical difficulties, one of them being the technology of Assists. An Assist is an action undertaken to help a person confront his physical difficulties, overcome trauma, ease discomfort and speed recovery. For more information go to: www.volunteerministers.org/solutions/assists.html.

Trauma specialists provide stress relief in Christchurch

2011-03-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

03-Mar 13:45

Along with medical staff and psychologists on the ground in Christchurch, trauma specialists have also arrived to provide stress relief.

Gary Bromwell of the Scientology International Disaster Relief Group is a trauma stress specialist who says he helps victims “come out of the trauma and back into the present so they can rebuild their lives and move on”.

Mr Bromwell uses a variety of techniques including massage.

The Real Story of Scientology t

2011-02-07T10:28:00.001-08:00

Churlya Wurfel, for example, who has saved lives in disasters throughout the South Pacific.

If the New Yorker was really interested in news, why didn't they interview a single Volunteer Minister about the help they give. Or a single person who benefited from their help.

CHURLYA WURFEL DEFIES CLASSIFICATION, BUT EVERYTHING SHE TOUCHES THRIVES

| AUSTRALIA • November 13, 2010 |

A true citizen of the world, fashionista Churlya Wurfel—born and raised in a Chinese family in Indonesia, married to a German and living in Australia—reaches out to help countries throughout the Pacific Rim.

There is more to Churlya Wurfel than exquisite apparel and glamorous soirées.

True, she owns the Villoni Night Fashion Boutique and is famous for showcasing her new line of eveningwear on the trendiest runways Down Under. And the magnificent gowns on the Miss World Australia contestants often sport her label.

But aid workers and disaster victims in Indonesia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines know her too—as the petite woman in the bright yellow Scientology Volunteer Ministers T-shirt, helping in the wake of floods, tsunamis and typhoons.

And Wurfel was awarded the coveted Freedom Medal of the International Association of Scientologists for training the Red Cross of her native Indonesia in Scientology disaster response technology.

Although her husband became a Scientologist several years earlier, it was not until a personal calamity in 1983 that Wurfel herself embraced the religion.

“My three-year-old daughter was in Indonesia visiting her grandmother when we got the kind of phone call every mother dreads,” says Wurfel. “My child was in a hospital 1,700 miles away, dying of pneumonia—she had stopped breathing on her own.”

The Wurfels took the next flight to Java and her husband began giving their daughter Scientology assists—techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that address the mental and spiritual component in illness and injuries.

“Within a few hours of his beginning these assists, her temperature dropped to normal,” Wurfel says.

The next day their daughter was able to stand and walk. The Wurfels brought the toddler home and within a week the little girl had recovered completely.

“Seeing firsthand the power of this technology, I decided to see if it could help me too,” says the mother of three and grandmother of two.

And indeed there was something she suffered from herself—the loss of her grandmother when Wurfel was just a child. From that point forward she was never really a happy person.

“I addressed my grandmother’s death in a Dianetics counseling session. It completely changed my life,” says Wurfel.

That was 27 years ago, and Wurfel, now 56, has studied and used Scientology ever since. She has raised three children, built her boutique into one of the most elegant and prominent in the country, and helped thousands recover from trauma in disaster zones. And she now also serves as a staff member at the Church of Scientology of Sydney.

“I use Scientology in every aspect of my life,” she says. “I have become a better mother, a better wife and a better executive—in short, a better person.”

View the Churlya Wurfel video at www.Scientology.org.

2010: SCIENTOLOGY VOLUNTEER MINISTERS PROVIDE AID WORLD OVER IN THE WAKE OF DISASTER

2011-02-06T21:29:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the past twelve months, hundreds of thousands trained in the skills of the Scientology Volunteer Minister reached out and helped others in times of disaster. Their actions embodied the words of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard: “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.”

In the tradition of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, who worked tirelessly at Ground Zero in the months following 9/11, Scientologists took temporary leave of their homes, families and jobs in 2010 to help rescue the lives and livelihoods of victims of natural and manmade disasters.
Bringing the disaster relief techniques that have made the Volunteer Ministers’ bright yellow tents and T-shirts a symbol of effective help at more than 200 disaster sites worldwide, in 2010 they provided physical and spiritual aid to victims and rescue workers at more than a dozen major disaster sites.
January 2010 – Haiti
The defining moment of 2010 Volunteer Minister service began just before 5 p.m. on January 12 when a 7.0 earthquake sent shockwaves through the nation of Haiti. In reply, on January 16, the Church of Scientology sponsored a chartered transport from JFK, carrying hundreds of doctors, nurses and EMTs—as well as Volunteer Ministers, to provide support services for medical teams. In the weeks following, the Church sponsored four additional chartered flights for volunteer medical teams. Owing to logistical bottlenecks to the island, the Church further sponsored the chartering of a former Coast Guard vessel to transport hundreds of tons of medical supplies, equipment, food, water and clothing. Additional Scientology Volunteer Ministers accompanied each charter, to provide support in makeshift hospitals, camps for the homeless and orphanages. Volunteer Ministers also provided care to the injured and displaced, delivering “assists” to relieve spiritual and emotional trauma.
In total, working in liaison with international relief organizations, Volunteer Ministers from 22 nations stepped forward to answer the call for help in Haiti. As Vincent Gennaro, Assistant Chief of Surgery for Project Medishare’s Haiti Relief Effort put it, “No matter what we asked Volunteer Ministers to do—it didn’t make any difference. They didn’t ask any questions. They just did it.”
February 2010 – Chile
On February 27, an 8.8 earthquake devastated Chile, triggering three successive tsunami waves that struck coastal cities. Within hours, Chilean Volunteer Ministers were on the ground distributing supplies to the affected, in tandem with the Red Cross. Later joined by Volunteer Ministers from Mexico and the United States, they established their base outside Conception, the city hardest hit by the disaster. Their operation focused on providing logistical aid to disaster sites, from Donihue to Coltauco. Volunteer Ministers additionally teamed with naval personnel from the base in Vina del Mar. In providing emotional succor, more than 4,800 Chileans received help from Scientology Volunteer Ministers.
March 2010 – Uganda
In March, torrential rains in eastern Uganda touched off a series of mudslides, devastating villages. In response, Volunteer Ministers travelled from across the border in Kenya, assisting with search and rescue operations for unaccounted villagers. The Volunteer Ministers further assisted the displaced and injured living in “tent camps” housing nearly 30 thousand in the aftermath.
May 2010 – Nashville
On May 1, in the wake of Tennessee thunderstorms, the Cumberland River crested at 52 feet in Nashville—a level not seen since 1937. Volunteer Ministers mobilized from Nashville’s Church of Scientology, joining forces with local Red Cross. Volunteer Ministers also teamed with Hands-On Nashville, a local volunteer disaster unit, to provide on-the-ground coordination for relief efforts. Volunteer Ministers further established and operated Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) food banks and vaccine stations in community centers across the city, in addition to assisting the National Guard with emergency ration distribution.
May 2010 – Guatemala
The Pacaya volcano erupted in Guatemala on May 28, with rising plumes 6 miles into the air. Guatemalan Volunteer Ministers immediately provided assistance in the shelters at Amatitlan. In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Agatha’s floods and landslides, Volunteer Ministers attended evacuees in shelters at Villa Canales and San Miguel Escobar. For their efforts, Volunteer Ministers earned the respect and recognition from CONRED (National Coordination for the Reduction of Disasters) and were placed on their rolls of disaster relief forces.
July 2010 – Pakistan
When floods struck the Indus River Basin, it stood as Pakistan's worst natural disaster in memory. Volunteer Minister teams from Karachi escorted and cared for displaced children, provided much-needed rations and supplies, and airlifted emergency medical teams to bring antibiotics and fresh water to those afflicted.
September 2010 – New Zealand
When New Zealand was hit with a 7.1 earthquake, Volunteer Ministers from Auckland ran relief logistics in partnership with the local Red Cross.
September 2010 – Northern California
In San Bruno, California, San Francisco-based Volunteer Ministers were among the first responders to a gasline explosion. They worked shoulder-to-shoulder with civil defense personnel to help clean up debris and man emergency ration lines.
_______________________
Through the course of providing disaster relief in the past 10 years, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have trained and partnered with more than 800 organizations, including the Red Cross, FEMA, National Guard, Salvation Army, Mexico’s International Rescue Brigade, Boy Scouts and hundreds of local, regional and national groups and organizations, giving freely of their skills, their care and compassion.
New 2010 Volunteer Minister Website
The Volunteer Ministers not only serve at worst-case disasters, but stand ready to provide help with everyday “disasters.” To expand this help, 2010 saw the launch of a new website: volunteerministers.org. The site content has been translated in 17 languages and includes online training in assist technology, as well as practical skills to help individuals in need—including the resolution of marital strife, rearing children, overcoming drug addiction and much more.
_______________________________
The Scientology Volunteer Minister program was initiated by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1976. There are now hundreds of thousands of people trained in the skills of a Volunteer Minister across 185 nations.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Action

2010-08-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been in Haiti since the January earthquake. Sponsored by a grant by the International Association of Scientologists, they will be there for the long haul.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program was created by L. Ron Hubbard in 1976. The motto is "Something CAN be done about it."

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program came into the forefront when a group of VMs spent months at Ground Zero after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Mr. David Miscavige expressed the gratitude and pride ofScientologists everywhere when he awarded the leaders of that Volunteer Ministers disaster relief action "Freedom Medals" of the International Association of Scientologists. The IAS further acknowledged The Church of Scientology of New York by funding the entire refit and renovation of the New York Org. David Miscavige was the special guest speaker when the New York Org opened in 2004.

Video footage of the grand opening and speeches, including that of David Miscavige, are online at the Scientology website.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Headquarters in Haiti

2010-08-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

Scientology Volunteer Ministers house in Haiti.

However, emotional stress doesn’t halt at the borders of war-ravaged nations. Right at home the epidemics multiply—from drug abuse, delinquency and broken homes, to illiteracy, unemployment and the stress attendant to these problems. Under these conditions, civic administrators and human services personnel bear a tremendous burden.

But there are answers—real ones that work—delivered by Volunteer Ministers whenever and wherever needed with remarkable results. These answers come from the greater body of Scientology technology by L. Ron Hubbard and are intended for people of all beliefs.

Over 200,000 strong and spanning every continent of Earth, Volunteer Ministers work directly with community leaders, officials, support personnel and citizens to bring order and real help no matter the situation.

The Volunteer Ministers also reach out with traveling Cavalcades, bringing their help into major cities and communities throughout the world. Visiting a new city each month, these Cavalcades contact thousands at a time.

Inside the familiar yellow tents, anyone can get one-on-one assistance to address whatever troubles they might be facing.

While beyond their daily work in addressing societal ills, the Volunteer Ministers are among the first to arrive when disaster strikes. Trained to respond to emergency situations, they provide whatever is needed to immediately alleviate suffering and bring order quickly. And because the technology they apply is simple and effective, they quickly train others so they too can provide help.

With their organizational skills and ability to bring order, as well as their effective help to victims and emergency personnel, thousands have joined their ranks and Volunteer Ministers have emerged as one of the largest independent relief forces on Earth.

They have also become a global force delivering effective solutions in disaster zones that don’t make the headlines: in homes and schoolrooms, businesses and neighborhoods. They are on call on a 24/7 international Volunteer Minister Hotline.

Anyone, of any belief, who wants to do something to improve conditions around them may become a Volunteer Minister by learning the simple techniques offered by the free courses on this site. Equipped with these solutions, a Volunteer Minister can help build a better world by restoring order, kindness and decency wherever needed.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers

2010-08-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Scientology website has a section on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers including videos about their work in disaster relief.

Here's what it says:

The last decade has been one of the most turbulent in our history. Opposing ideologies, violent revolutions and a frail social economic structure have subjected more than one-third of the world’s population to oppression, poverty and brutal human rights violations. Terrorism and a global economic crisis rips at the very fabric of society, propagating a mindset governed by hysteria, fear and anxiety.

However, emotional stress doesn’t halt at the borders of war-ravaged nations. Right at home the epidemics multiply—from drug abuse, delinquency and broken homes, to illiteracy, unemployment and the stress attendant to these problems. Under these conditions, civic administrators and human services personnel bear a tremendous burden.

But there are answers—real ones that work—delivered by Volunteer Ministers whenever and wherever needed with remarkable results. These answers come from the greater body of Scientology technology and are intended for people of all beliefs."

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Handbook

2010-07-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Scientology Handbook is the textbook of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers and free courses based on this book, which was compiled from texts written by L. Ron Hubbard are available online.

Scientology Website Describes the Volunteer Ministers Program

2010-07-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the way the Scientology website describes the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program.

In answer to escalating crime and violence through the latter 1960s and early 1970s, L. Ron Hubbard founded the Volunteer Minister program. It was designed to provide practical tools for engendering understanding and compassion. Moreover, those tools were expressly conceived for use by Scientologists and non-Scientologists alike. Thus was born a broad-based movement of individuals from all walks of life dedicated to providing on-site assistance to communities around the world.

Through the last 30 years, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have provided aid and emergency services at more than 128 worst-case disaster sites. Today, they are among the world’s most recognized independent relief organizations, and have trained tens of thousands of new volunteers on their methods of bringing help in the worst of times and conditions.

As L. Ron Hubbard wrote, "A Scientology Volunteer Minister is a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by helping restore purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others. A Scientology Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence."

Volunteer Ministers live by the motto that “Something can be done about it.”

Scientology Volunteer Ministers described on the new Scientology Newsroom site!

2010-07-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

There's a new Scientology Newsroom site at www.scientologynews.org Lots of great data, and this description of the VM program:

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Corps is an embracive program of the Church of Scientology to provide community service, disaster relief and emergency response. Created more than 30 years ago by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the program has expanded to over 200,000 Volunteer Ministers worldwide who have served at 187 disaster sites, including Ground Zero after 9/11, the Southeast Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and Haiti.

Volunteer Ministers have trained and partnered with more than 1,000 different groups, organizations and agencies including the Red Cross, FEMA, the National Guard, and police and fire departments. The Volunteer Ministers Corps motto is “Something can be done about it.”

In addition to assisting people in need in their own communities, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have helped hundreds of thousands in major cities around the world and in far flung outposts. Our 18 Continental Volunteer Minister traveling centers (marquee yellow tents) and have toured through 170 countries covering over 300,000 miles, including a Volunteer Ministers barge traveling on the Amazon River, two centers traveling throughout Western and Central Africa and a traveling center in the outback of Australia.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers also routinely work side by side with other emergency response and relief organizations helping to save lives and bring order to disaster zones.

In 2001, more than 800 VMs responded to the World Trade Center disaster and provided spiritual and practical aid to emergency workers for many weeks. They have also been an integral part of rescue and salvage efforts at the sites of hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and fires.

More than 500 VMs from 11 nations served in relief efforts in Southeast Asia, India and Sri Lanka in 2005 after the Tsunami. Their work was reported on by international media including CNN, The Economist, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

The service of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers has been recognized by politicians, police, military, other relief agencies and civic authorities. A mayor in Louisiana whose city had been hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 said, “I was very happy when more than 900 of your Church Volunteer Ministers arrived in my city from all over the world and became a major force in bringing physical and spiritual help to those in need.”

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers click here.

Don't Forget Haiti

2010-06-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

The UN Human Rights Commission has named Haiti as one of the key countries where refugees is an issue. This weekend is the UN World Refugee Day.

Scientology volunteers in Haiti are not just distributing food and water in the IDP camps, they are training people using the Scientology Handbook, to help them survive there and build something better.

Maiden Voyage -- June 2010

2010-06-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

At the end of June the 22nd anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Freewinds will be celebrated aboard the ship.

After the event is held, videos of each of the four main nights are broadcast at events throughout the summer at Scientology Churches and Missions around the world. They contain important briefings by David Miscavige on what is going on in Scientology today, and what we can expect over the coming year.

Each year for the past several years, this has including briefings on the work of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, and I'm sure this year will be no exception.

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program, which was created by L. Ron Hubbard in the 70s, has really taken off.

At the Volunteer Ministers blog you can get up to date on the work of the VMs in Haiti. What they have done there has literally saved lives.

Scientololgy Ship arrived in Haiti with supplies

2010-06-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

Scientology Volunteer Ministers arrived in Haiti the first week after the earthquake in January, but new volunteers continue to arrive, and they are training Haitians in and around Port-au-Prince in Scientology technology who in turn are opening new groups all around the island.

The Church also sent a ship down with supplies, and this shows the arrival of the ship in P.A.P., being unloaded by a team of Scientologist VMs from about 15 nations including 100 Haitian nationals.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program was developed in 1976 by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. In the wake of 9/11, David Miscavige greatly expanded the scope of the program, which now includes Goodwill Tours throughout the world.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers pledge to help build a brighter future for Haiti on country's Flag Day

2010-05-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

Flag Day in Haiti May 18 took on new significance this year as Haitians and friends from around the world reaffirmed their commitment to rebuild the country from the January 2010 earthquake.

In this spirit, 100 Haitian Scientology Volunteer Ministers, joined by dozens of Volunteer Ministers from abroad, made the hour-long march from the Port-au-Prince suburb of Carrefour to the city of Leogane Tuesday, May 18, waving the Haitian flag with its motto "unity and freedom" and carrying bright yellow banners proclaiming "Something can be done about it"-the motto of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers.

In the village of Mariani on the outskirts of Leogane, Scientology Volunteer Ministers from Canada, Russia, the Ukraine, Mexico, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the United States joined their Haitian colleagues in the Haitian national anthem while Max Beauvoir, Haiti's main voodoo leader, raised the Haitian flag at the Volunteer Ministers tent where volunteers provide free training and one-on-one help.

Haitian Flag Day marks the day in 1803 when native leaders ripped the white field out of the French "tri-color" flag, forming a symbol of unity in their decade-long fight against French oppression that kept 500,000 enslaved on the island. Eight months later, this became the official flag for the new nation of Haiti.

Despite the passion and determination of the Haitian people, which made Haiti the only nation ever formed of a successful slave revolt, even before the January earthquake Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Some 300,000 Haitian children were orphaned or living without parents. Of 182 nations on Earth Haiti ranked 125th in literacy and 158th in Gross Domestic Product per capita.

These factors and a host of other social issues indicate it was not just an act of nature that devastated Haiti in January. These issues are what the Scientology Volunteer Ministers address in their training.

For example, there is no official building code in Haiti, and the city of Port-au-Prince was doomed to collapse. Anne Kiremidjian, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, described it in these terms: "Even a moderate sized event would have toppled these buildings down. This earthquake was a very large event and they had absolutely no chance of standing up."

While Scientology Volunteer Ministers continue to do relief work and construction projects in Haiti hospitals, clinics, orphanages and refugee camps, they are working on a longer-range program to tackle the underlying social issues that brought Haiti to the brink of destruction and ensure the country emerges from this disaster a strong society whose people have the opportunity they deserve.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers have opened 300 Volunteer Ministers groups in Haiti and are training government agencies, community and religious leaders, educators, students and scouts. With so many traumatized, they begin with a seminar called "Assists for Injuries and Illnesses," containing technology developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard to handle the emotional and spiritual effects of loss and injury. They follow up with training in study technology to increase literacy and the ability to apply one's education. Then come workshops in the basics of organization, planning, and communication skills, to ensure the people of Haiti have the tools they need.

In developing the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program in 1976, L. Ron Hubbard wrote, "It is important to understand bad conditions don't just happen. The cultural decay we see around us isn't haphazard. It was caused. Unless one understands this he won't be able to defend himself or reach out into the society with effectiveness." To learn more about the courses and seminars visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers website at {www.volunteerministers.org/train}

Scientology Russia Goodwill Tour Completes 19,000-Mile, Four-Year Trans-Siberian Journey

2010-05-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Scientology Volunteer Ministers from Russia complete journey across 10 time zones helping thousands along the length of the Trans-Siberian Railway

A team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers from Russia have completed a 19,000-mile journey across 10 time zones—a journey that began in Moscow four years ago. Since August 2006 these volunteers have traveled the length of the Trans-Siberian Railway giving lectures, seminars and courses to some 8,000 individuals on communication skills, study technology, conflict resolution, salvaging marriages, raising happy children and 14 other subjects contained in the Scientology Handbook. In each location they trained Volunteer Ministers and established groups to continue to help their communities.

On August 1, 2006, a 20-member Scientology Volunteer Ministers team boarded the Trans-Siberian Railroad at the first station on the line—the Yaroslavsky station in Moscow—and began a trek across 5,800 miles and 10 time zones to the Pacific Ocean seaport of Vladivostok. In the summer months they set up their signature yellow tent—a 3,400-square-foot pavilion with lecture rooms, classrooms, and a display describing the Volunteer Ministers program. In winter months, when temperatures never rose above zero for months on end, they provided their services in rented halls.

Trans-Siberian Goodwill Tour leader Sergey Nikitin said, “We are here to provide effective help—that is our purpose. Our motto is ‘Something can be done about it,’ and that means not only in times of major disasters and emergencies but in everyday life.”

The Volunteer Ministers delivered lectures and seminars and provided classes and one-on-one help in Perm, Ekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Zheleznogorsk, Ulan-Ude, Chita, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok, in hospitals, orphanages, government offices, fire station, invalid centers, veteran associations, businesses, clubs or women’s groups.

To ensure the courses and assistance would continue to be available with neighbor helping neighbor, in each city the Volunteer Ministers trained local residents as Volunteer Ministers and helped them establish groups to sustain the assistance after the tour moved on.

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard created the Volunteer Minister program in answer to escalating crime and violence in the later 1960s and early 1970s, to provide practical tools for engendering understanding and compassion. The program has expanded to 203,000 Volunteer Ministers worldwide who have served at 185 disaster sites, including Ground Zero after 9/11, the Southeast Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and Haiti.
For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, visit their website at www.volunteerministers.org.

Scientology Handbook and VM training

2010-04-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Scientology Handbook is the text for the training of Scientology Volunteer Ministers. It includes 19 subject such as learning how to learn, how to help people withdraw from drugs or alcohol, how to salvage a marriage and reestablish a relationship with your kids. Very simple to read and study. You can also take free online courses through the Volunteer Ministers web site.

Scientology Courses Available On Line

2010-04-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site offers free online training in the technology the Scientology Volunteer Ministers use to help others improve conditions in their lives--courses covering such things as improved communication, handling stress at work and in life, and Scientology assists, which help speed healing by handling the mental, emotional and spiritual factors that precipitate and prolong illness and injuries. This technology is covered in the Scientology Handbook

VOLUNTEER MINISTERS PROVIDING EFFECTIVE HELP ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE

2010-04-14T17:39:00.001-07:00

Volunteer Ministers live by the motto that “Something can be done about it.”

Scientology-sponsored Ship Brings More Than 100 Tons of Supplies to Haiti for the Relief Effort

2010-04-09T12:48:00.001-07:00

A Scientology-sponsored “Lifeboat to Haiti” arrived in Port-au-Prince April 8, carrying more than 100 tons of urgently needed supplies including medicine, medical equipment, an ambulance, food, cooking stoves and tents.

Scientology-sponsored Lifeboat for Haiti at the dock in Port-au-Prince

In the first weeks following the earthquake, the Church of Scientology sponsored five chartered flights, bringing more than 440 doctors, nurses and emergency medical technicians and 280 Scientology Volunteer Ministers to the island, helping more than 200,000 people through their combined efforts in the first two and a half months.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers are in Haiti for the long haul, not only providing disaster relief but also working with local government and civic groups and community leaders who are determined to improve the quality of life for all Haitians.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers work in the IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps providing food, water, and other supplies and training people in Scientology Assists—techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that help the individual overcome the emotional and spiritual aspects of trauma and stress.

The Volunteers Ministers are also establishing a base in Petionville to provide free training to individuals and groups including teachers, students, disaster relief groups and government agencies. This training addresses the underlying social issues and skills needed to bring about lasting improvement. Seminars and courses include subjects such as communication skills, the basics of organizing and study technology. So far, they have provided seminars and classes to over 8,000 local residents.

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Haiti Response Team, visit their web site at blog.volunteerministers.org.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers are loading former US Coast Guard Ship for take-off to Haiti

2010-03-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

The 896-ton ship will travel 84 hours to Haiti.

The former US Coast Guard ship "Hornbeam" at its arrival in Miami on 20 March 2010.

22/23 March 2010: Update on the Hornbeam: Monday afternoon in Miami final preparations for the 1,500- mile trip of the former US Coast Guard Ship were done. Several Scientology Volunteer Ministers helped to load over 170 tons of supplies, including wood-burning stoves donated by the charity of wife of the Haitian Ambassador to the U.S. Tomorrow an ambulance and a school bus will be loaded on board and the ship will be tugged out to open sea and leave for Haiti.

Download the photo pack! Download the statement!

On arriving in Haiti later this week all supplies will be distributed to hospitals, schools, orphanages and charities. The ship, the Hornbeam, will be tugged up the Miami River and out to open sea on Wednesday, March 24. The ship also brings Scientology Volunteer Ministers to join the Scientology Disaster Relief team, which has been in Port-au-Prince providing relief since January.

2010-03-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

In the past weeks the Mexican Scientology Volunteer Minister team in Haiti has given seminars to more than 5,000 persons and trained more than 1,000 in Assist technology. They also organized and distributed food and water to more than 10,000 persons. One of their special projects was to help re-open a big Christian school.

For the last several weeks a team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers from Mexico have been helping the FMA school (Filles de Marie-Auxiliatrice) reestablish order and get back into action. The earthquake affected nearly every person in Port-au-Prince. So many died, and most of those who survived were injured or left homeless. Many schools collapsed killing the children and teachers who were there. Those like the FMA school that were not destroyed by the quake have been closed since January 12, with the teachers and administrators taking care of the immediate needs of their families.

The school is run by a Catholic order, the Silesian Sisters. Over the past several weeks the Volunteer Ministers have been training the sisters on basic Volunteer Ministers assist technology, which includes seminars and courses on communication, how to improve relationships, how to establish order and organize an area and Scientology assist technology.

Scientology assists are techniques developed by L. Ron Hubbard that address the spiritual and emotional factors in illness and injuries, and thus speed healing.
Once trained, the sisters started to train others. Within several days they trained some 600 volunteers from a nearby refugee camp.

They have reassembled the faculty, cleaned up the school and readied the school to reopen.

A local radio station announced the school was about to open again and on March 4, 2010, more than 3,000 kids of all ages gathered at the school campus to resume their studies.

But when the school doors opened that morning, the kids were too afraid to go inside the building. For many of them, the last time they had been inside a structure it collapsed. And everyone knows someone who died because they were inside a house, school, hospital or shopping center when the earthquake struck.

To help these children overcome their fears so they could get on with their education, the newly trained volunteers gave them Locational assists, which enable the person to put past memories of fear or loss behind them by orienting the individual to his or her current environment. By the time they were done, everyone on the campus was relaxed and extroverted and ready to go back inside to their classrooms.

That is why the FMA School has reopened—the first to do so in Port-au-Prince. The nun who runs the school was interviewed on a local radio show. She emphasized that the school, the first and only school in the city that has reopened since the earthquake on January 12, was only able to resume classes because of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers.

Scientology Volunteer Minister, Home from Haiti, Says More Help is Needed

2010-03-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

Scientology Volunteer Minister David Dempster, a Scotsman who has lived in Clearwater, Florida for the past four years, was on the first Scientology-sponsored charter flight to Haiti on January 16, departing from JFK Airport in New York. The aircraft transported more than 100 doctors, nurses and EMTs (emergency medical technicians) to Haiti, and a team of Volunteer Ministers to support them in their work. Five more flights sponsored by Scientologists have provided transport for over 600 medical and support personnel on donated planes from New York, Los Angeles and Miami. Dempster, who provided urgently needed administrative backup to doctors at two Port-au-Prince hospitals, is back in Florida now, and reflects on his experiences there.

Dempster was first deployed to General Hospital in Port-au-Prince. “On our drive to the hospital, the physical destruction we saw was staggering,” he said. “A local resident told me most buildings are made of concrete blocks to safeguard against hurricane damage, but this served them badly in the quake. The damage was exacerbated by the common practice of mixing extra sand in the concrete to save money. Because of this, the walls just crumbled in the earthquake.”

At General Hospital, Dempster’s team provided administrative backup to the doctors and nurses on duty. “Our Volunteer Ministers organized incoming medical supplies, helped calm distressed patients, distributed water to patients, carried stretchers, helped deliver babies and assisted with amputations, of which there were many,” he said.

“We had a team of four or five Volunteer Ministers assisting the doctor who ran the Intensive Care Unit during the day and two Volunteer Ministers who took on overnight duty. This made an enormous difference in the quality of patient care.”

Dempster also worked at the University of Miami tent hospital. Medical staff had arrived in Haiti, but with no administrative personnel to support them. This tied up the doctors, nurses and EMTs in administrative and logistics functions, drastically cutting into their patient care. To free up the doctors and nurses, the Volunteer Ministers took over myriad administrative support functions.

Organization of medical supplies was the first critical need. Donated supplies had been dropped off, unsorted and unlabeled, forming mountains of boxes, and the scene was consuming precious hours of doctors’ and nurses’ time trying to find a particular medication, a clamp or a syringe. The Volunteer Ministers attacked the disarray of the supply tent, sorting and stacking, organizing and labeling, and setting up a distribution line to get needed items to medical personnel rapidly. This handling of the supply tent by the Scientology Volunteer Ministers enabled the doctors and nurses to spend their time treating patients, with many lives saved as a direct result.

Another area of enormous need was the organizing and running of triage—registering incoming patients, giving them wristband IDs, and noting their visible injuries so doctors and nurses could more rapidly assess priorities. Dempster was put in charge of the Volunteer Ministers in this area, replacing a nurse who had been doing this. “She was very relieved to be able to get on with actual nursing duties,” he said, “while we Volunteer Ministers took care of administrative and logistics matters.”

Back in Florida, Dempster says the work still to be done is massive and he encourages others to volunteer.

To learn more, visit the Volunteer Ministers blog at blog.volunteerministers.org

WSVN TV 15 Feb 2010 - Scientology Volunteer Ministers bringing help to Haiti

2010-02-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

Nearly 50 doctors, nurses and EMT's flying out from Miami International Airport to the quake devastated region of Port-au-Prince. The trip is being sponsored by the Church of Scientology. About 40 disaster response trained volunteer ministers will also be aboard. "We wanted to bring some medical expertise there and we would support them in what they were doing, because were talking long hours," said Church Of Scientology volunteer Pat Harney.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Haiti - The Week in Review

2010-02-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

This past week the first Volunteer Minister teams from Mexico, Russia and the United Kingdom arrived and replaced some of the American volunteer units who had been there for the last three weeks.

In total more than 12,200 people were reached with help this week, including 4,674 served with food and water, and care given to about 2,300 injured people. Several examples follow.

Remote Areas

A team of 7 people (2 Doctors and 5 Scientology Volunteer Ministers) went out several times this week visiting outlying refugee camps in a very torn down neighborhood where people are living in broken houses.

Second unit is making food and supply runs. After receiving a distress call from a local pastor who had told the Volunteers that there were people starving in his community set up a makeshift primary care station and delivered food and water to his camp. The station was been set up outside due to buildings being so unstable. Primary care was given to 70 patients and 96 hot meals, 2 boxes of rice, 100 granola bars, 20 cans of tuna, (enough to feed 200 people) and 4 cases of water were provided. The locals also supplied a list of other areas that desperately needed food and these are being visited in the coming week.

Another Volunteer unit delivered medical assistance to several tent cities outside Port-au-Prince to 495 people. They handed out baby wipes, baby food, powdered milk, vitamins, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and facemasks and delivered a seminar on hygiene.

On Wednesday the Volunteers unit delivering medical supplies went with a Trauma Doctor and Trauma Registered Nurse out "into the trenches." On this project several dozen injured people were located and given proper medical assistance.

The Volunteers helped fly 4 plane loads of medical supplies (approximately 200lbs) to Jacmel in south Haiti and provided them to local doctors that that had been cut off medical supply and support lines. They also helped organize distribution logistics for future deliveries. 30 boxes of MREs (360 Meals Ready to Eat) plus one pallet of rice (enough for 540 people) were deliverd to a nearby community and several kitchens rebuilt to service about 1,000 people.

Hospital installations:

SWISS HOSPITAL TENT: A sanitation team that came in with one of the Volunteer Ministers charter flights has taken on trash clean-up around the hospital. They also organized the draining of a waste-filled pond right next to the hospital tents.

GENERAL HOSPITAL, PORT-AU-PRINCE: A team of Volunteers continued to help distributing food and water to the patients daily and organized the receipt and distribution of needed supplies.

MIAMI UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL TENT: The Volunteer Ministers worked the food distribution lines and continued to put order in the medical storage. They also got local Haitians on board to arrange food deliveries to nearby camps and brought 13 large boxes of food into different communities.

CAMPS IN PORT-AU-PRINCE: For several weeks now Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been arranging food and other supplies for hundreds of children in Port-au-Prince. The Volunteer Ministers continue to feed and care for the children, while professional Haitian orphanage administrators are working to find parents or other relatives. In the past week over a ton of food, water and medical supplies were gotten out to three children camps and several new tents were installed. A van full of school supplies including proper clothing for the kids arrived from Dominican Republic as organized by the Volunteer Minister unit there.

For several weeks Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been arranging food and other supplies for dozens of children in Port-au-Prince. The Volunteer Ministers continue to feed and care for the children, while professional Haitian orphanage administrators are working to find parents or other relatives.

Receipt of donated shelter boxes (tents).

Volunteer Ministers in Haiti provide any assistance needed and to date have helped more than 41,000 people.

Volunteer Minister vans and rented vehicles bring food and supplies to tent cities and refugee camps in southern Haiti.

A typical "tent city" in Haiti's country side where refugees gather.

Haiti needs support!

2010-01-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Disaster Response Coordinator has put out a call for Volunteer Ministers to travel to Haiti, in response to the January 12, 2010, magnitude 7.0 earthquake. Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimates the death toll from the earthquake, which destroyed most of the Capital City of Port-au-Prince, could reach hundreds of thousands. Lack of resources and decimated infrastructure in Haiti, the least-developed country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world according to the US State Department, is severely hampering the search and rescue operation and care for the survivors.

For information on how to join the Volunteer Ministers team in Haiti or to sponsor a volunteer to go contact the Volunteer Ministers Disaster Response Coordinator at vm@volunteerministers.org

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Australian Outback Goodwill Tour Promotes Literacy and Drug-Free Living

2009-11-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

A team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers, a community service organization, whose work includes disaster relief and emergency response, is traveling through Australia’s Outback to provide individual assistance based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard.

While Scientology churches reach out to help people in their own communities, Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tours, such as the one in the Outback, travel to remote locations to bring help everywhere and anywhere.

In February 2008, the Australian Government formally apologized to the Aboriginal people, many of whom live in the Outback, for the highly discriminatory actions of previous governments. One of the worst—known as the “Stolen Generation”—was a state-sanctioned policy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries through which many Aboriginal children were taken from their homes and placed in foster care.

In his 2008 apology, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stated his government’s commitment to creating “a future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country.”

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Outback Goodwill tour is helping to accomplish this goal, with effective solutions for the most serious challenges facing people in this region, including courses, seminars and one-on-one help to bring an end to illiteracy and substance abuse.

Scientology members out of Taiwan Honored for Disaster Relief Effort

2009-11-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

Kaohsiung—Scientology Volunteer Ministers were commended in a ceremony October 17 for their part in helping Taiwan recover from the deadliest typhoon to hit the country in 50 years. Ms. Mei Tsu Lee, representing the Church of Scientology in Taiwan, accepted the award presented by the Youth Volunteer Association and the Kaohsiung City Council. Many other groups and individuals were also acknowledged at the event.

Typhoon Morakot slammed into southern Taiwan last August, killing more than 600 and causing an estimated $1.5 billion in damage. More than nine feet of rain inundated the island causing record flooding and mudslides buried entire villages.

Despite more than 20,000 troops pressed into service for disaster relief, without the volunteer community the country could not have coped with the needs of some 7,000 who lost their homes and the enormous cleanup operation needed to restore the island to any semblance of normality.

The bright yellow shirts of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers fast became a welcome sight in the days following the typhoon. The Scientologists helped distribute food, water and supplies and rolled up their sleeves to help villages clean up mountains of mud that were everywhere.

But it was Scientology Assists—spiritual first-aid—that were the most valuable contribution of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers. Assists are procedures developed by L. Ron Hubbard that provide relief by addressing the emotional and spiritual factors in stress, trauma, illness and injury.

“I could not close my eyes to sleep,” said one woman who lived through the storm. The Assist brought her immediate relief. “The feeling of numbness is gone and now I can sleep.”

“Thank you for helping me put the smile back on my face,” said one person aided with an Assist. “The pressure in gone.” She asked to be taught techniques herself so she could help her family and neighbors.

To the 64-year-old woman whose banana farm was literally washed away, it seemed the typhoon had destroyed everything. She was desperate with worry about how she and her daughter could carry on. But after her Assist it all looked different: she was relaxed, even optimistic, as she started to plan for the future.

The Volunteer Ministers were not there only for the Morakot victims, they also gave Assists to the military who were carrying out disaster response. One solder was so impressed by the change he experienced from his Assist that he asked the Volunteer Ministers to teach him how to give them. “I really felt lucky to have helped in this disaster,” he said. “I have never been involved in a more meaningful activity. Now I want to do more.”

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, visit their web site at www.volunteerministers.org or the Scientology web site at www.scientology.org.

Kenya: Scientology Volunteer Ministers help recover trust and understanding

2009-10-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Volunteer Ministers from the Church of Scientology Mission of Nairobi helped the congregation of the Christian Empowerment Ministries of Ongata Rongai, Kenya, concerning a subject of great interest in any culture. Those attending the Volunteer Ministers seminar on September 15 learned how to revive a marriage that has gone stale or bad.

Ongata Rongai is in southern Kenya, 12 miles southwest of Nairobi, near the border of Tanzania. Pastor George Lukoye heard about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers and their offer to provide free seminars to anyone in need of help and asked for their assistance with problems that members of his congregation were experiencing.

Many in Pastor George’s congregation were troubled by marriage and family problems. Knowing how an unhappy marriage can affect all aspects of life, the pastor invited the Volunteer Ministers to help his parishioners with a seminar to address these issues.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers asked those attending to write down the problems they have in their marriages. High on the list were communication difficulties, misunderstandings, unfaithfulness and dishonesty. The seminar then used techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard from the Scientology Handbook and gave them practical tools to overcome these problems.

“I have learned how to communicate with my wife, children, friends and relatives,” said one of the pastors attending the seminar. “I have also learned that I have to keep on creating and building my relationship on a daily basis and to appreciate others.”

“I now have greater insight on how to handle marriage,” said one of the parishioners. “Now I can easily use good communication.”

“I have learned how to keep children happy by appreciating and acknowledging their views,” was the benefit another gained from the seminar. “I have learned how important communication is in our daily life,” said a woman who attended. “Communication plays a vital role in marriage.”

Scientology Volunteer Ministers deliver on-site workshops, seminars and courses that provide simple solutions to such life situations as study problems, relationship or communication difficulties, conflicts and stress. For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program or to arrange a free seminar, contact the Volunteer Ministers Consultant at vm@volunteerministers.org or visit their web site at www.volunteerministers.org

9/11 on the Horizon

2009-08-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

As an American, September 11th rocked my world. It was the first time international influence personally penetrated into my somewhat insular life. In my lifetime, and for 200 years or so. there has been no foreign power on American soil.

The vision of those jets crashing into the World Trade Center is indelible for me. For most of us I'm sure.

I am personally so proud of the Volunteer Ministers who came from New York and to New York and who risked more than they knew to help the rescue workers go through the rubble and salvage what they could of thousands of lives.

9/11 had a profound effect on my Church. David Miscavige issued a challenge to all Scientologists to use this "wake up call" as a reason to step up their work to help their communities, their countries, raise the level of civilization around them, contribute in any way possible to help make this world a better place. Mr. Miscavige also honored the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of New York by awarding the church the funding for the full renovation of their 46th Street headquarters. David Miscavige also came to New York to dedicate the Church at its grand opening.

And this is really what launched the expansion of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers movement into a completely new realm of operation.

I am sure 9/11 had this effect on many people. If it woke us up to helping one another, that is the testament to the lives lost on that day, and their legacy for the future.

Scientology Volunteers in Benin

2009-08-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Scientology volunteers work with Benin humanitarian group to improve the quality of care for orphans in the City of Djougou

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour, which travels throughout western Africa offering seminars, courses and one-on-one help for people throughout the region, has provided training to orphanage administrators in the city of Djougou, teaching effective solutions to the challenges they face in improving the quality of care in their facilities.

An estimated 340,000 Benin youth are orphans, with no anticipated decrease in the short term. In the first half of this decade the number of AIDS orphans—children who have lost either one or both parents to AIDS—in Benin more than doubled, from an estimated 23,000 in the year 2000 to some 62,000 in 2005, and the prediction is that this will only continue to escalate. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Agency for International Development have predicted that by the end of the decade, 20 million children in Africa will lose one or both parents to AIDS.

To effectively address issues related to parentless children, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers partnered with a non-profit group responsible for 28 orphanages in the City of Djougou. The Volunteer Ministers delivered “The Raising of Children” seminar for orphanage administrators, presenting procedures and practices, developed by humanitarian and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, that can be applied to improve the quality of care of children in these institutions.

The orphan care initiative is just one in Benin, an emerging nation whose Gross Domestic Product ranks 159 of 177 nations. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour offers seminars and workshops free of charge to any non-profit group or government agency on increasing efficiency, improving communication skills and organizing to increase production.

Scientology volunteers also trained nurses at a local clinic to use Scientology Assists, techniques that provide relief and speed recovery from emotional or physical trauma. They also gave a drug education seminar to a local youth group and a workshop to a women’s association on how to resolve conflicts and save marriages.

In addition to seminars in community locations, the volunteer ministers provided small-group training and one-on-one counseling at their big yellow tent, where visitors could select from 19 courses ranging from “Assists for Illnesses and Injuries” to “Tools for the Workplace.” These free courses are also available online at the Scientology Volunteer Ministers website.

Malmö: The Knowledge Center of Northern Europe

2009-08-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

(Freedom Magazine News Report) Guests from 32 nations attended the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology in Malmö.

Just two weeks after presiding over the opening of the fully restored Fort Harrison retreat in Clearwater, Florida, Mr. Miscavige traveled more than 5,000 miles to formally open the new European Church of Scientology in the Swedish seacoast city of Malmö. Those in attendance hailed from 32 nations, including Britain, Belgium, France, Germany, Russia, Israel, Iraq and Uganda. They gathered to celebrate a historic day: dedication of the 72,000-square-foot landmark Church of Scientology, acquired, designed, renovated and opened in less than six months.

The Chapel is used for Sunday Services, weddings and all other Scientology ceremonies, as well as seminars and local community events.

Among those present to honor the occasion were European dignitaries including Dr. Iva Parizkova Ryggestahl, Human Rights Activist and Vice-Deputy in the Swedish Parliament; Dr. Adly Abu Hajar, Director General of the European Islamic Conference, a group of Muslim leaders of 33 nations; Dr. Gunnar Bramstång, Distinguished Professor of Law, Dean of the Lund Law faculty and author of groundbreaking human rights legislation; and Dr. Bertil Persson, renowned educator, Professor of Religion, and Permanent Representative at the UNESCO University for Peace.

The day was further distinguished by Mr. Miscavige dedicating this new Church in the name of a better tomorrow:

“Our ability to uplift generations with Study Technology, our ability to eradicate drug abuse and awaken populations to the inherent moral decency within them—all this is now possible on a previously unimaginable scale.

“So, yes, today is truly just a beginning and, forever after, let us mark this day for freedom, for Sweden, and for all eternity.”

Mr. Miscavige, joined by the other honored guests, then cut the ribbon, officially marking a new era for Scientology in Sweden.

What's Next?

2009-06-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

My friends are on the Freewinds at the Maiden Voyage. I can't wait to see the events myself. They are always so inspirational.

For one thing, as a Scientologist I am so proud of what we are doing in society, and David Miscavige does GREAT briefings on what's been going on over the past several months.

My favorite part, of course, is the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, but I love the news about new churches opening, the anti-drug program -- just about anything the church is doing today is pretty cool.

Australia Fires

2009-04-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

This article gives a good overview of what Scientology Volunteer Ministers actually do in disaster areas and how they provide relief. They use technology from the Scientology Handbook.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Ghana

2008-09-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking of joining one of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers goodwill tours. I like to think of them as Peace Corps on steroids (because with Scientology technology these volunteers can actually do something for people.)

For example there's a Scientology Volunteer Ministers tour in Ghana. I'd love to support that one personally!

These Goodwill tours were announced a few years back by David Miscavige. They've been terrifically effective.

Watching More

2008-03-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

I just spent some more time on the Scientology video channel.

I loved the Way to Happiness clips. Some of those hit home pretty personally!

Yo Dude! Videos on Scientology!

2008-03-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

The videos on the Scientology site are so totally cool!

They have their whole own channel! Jeez!

Okay. Ask me a question about Scientology now!!!!

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour in the Heart of Europe

2008-02-21T16:42:00.001-08:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Eastern European Goodwill Tour is in Košice, in the Slovak Republic. The Slovak Republic is one of the more recent nations to join the EU, and they had a hard time coming up to the economic bottom line required for entry. When I was last over in Europe and we were driving to Hungary we were advised to steer clear of Slovakia because of higher crime rate there than in other nearby countries. We had to jerrymander our way around to avoid it. But obviously if it affects tourists badly it must be a real problem to natives.

The Goodwill Tour is a really good idea for that area. The courses are free or very inexpensive. Second. And the Scientology Handbook booklets have now been translated into Slovakian.

I've heard from some of the people who did courses or seminars when the Tour was in Romania and Poland that the VMs inspired them to set up their own VM groups. So that's another great reason.

A few years down the road when we hear about the "Church of Scientology of Košice I'll remember reading about this.

Volunteer Ministers Throughout the World

2007-12-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers have become a major movement throughout the world, delivering effective help to people by the thousands. The What is Scientology? site includes a section that describes in detail what they accomplish. Hearing about their successes is always of interest to me.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Namibia

2007-12-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

This is a good article about a country in Africa in dire need of help - Namibia. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Africa Goodwill Tour went to Namibia and has been delivering the needed help with excellent results.

Volunteer Ministers Site

2007-12-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

I really like the new Scientology Volunteer Ministers site, with the intro film, visuals and data on all aspects of the Volunteer Ministers movement all over the world. These dedicated people show absolutely that Something Can be Done About It.

What Makes a Volunteer Excel

2007-09-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

There are many very dedicated and well-meaning volunteers, and our world would be a sad and barren place without them.

But the volunteers who are most valuable are those who are trained and really help others.

There are Doctors Without Borders and engineers and construction professionals who volunteer their time in war zones, disaster areas, and 3rd World countries.

But you don't have to have years of training, a trade union membership or a degree. In fact with just a bit of study of the Scientology Handbook anyone can improve his/her value as a volunteer and provide real help to people

VMs in Peru

2007-09-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers who flew to Pisco to help in the aftermath of last month's earthquake did such a good job there. The administrative technology covered in the Scientology Handbook by L. Ron Hubbard is of enormous help in these kinds of situations. When the local infrastructure breaks down and people are not only confronted by the loss of their homes, their friends and family members, their livelihoods, their possessions and on top of that they are living in shelters with limited food and water and no privacy, it is a real help to have people who know how to organize the place, how to administer basic trauma relief, and how to put people to work, cleaning, serving and helping one another.

The team of VMs in Pisco included several veterans of other disasters and they were able to simply step in and take control of the shelters in Pisco, the town hardest hit by the earthquake.

This photo shows two of the VMs administering Scientology assists to emergency relief personnel.

In a recent international Scientology event David Miscavige described Volunteer Ministers as people who give unconditional help. It's really true, and Pisco was a real example of this.

I just had the opportunity to speak to two of the volunteers who left within 2 days of the disaster and only returned home this week. They both described the month they were in Peru as one of the most incredible experiences of their lives. They were getting hardly any sleep; they were living in the same terrible conditions that the victims of the disaster were living in; they experienced the death and loss firsthand. But the fact that they were able to really help people will remain with them the rest of their lives as one of the most important things they have ever done.

Volunteer Ministers in Peru

2007-09-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

There is a team of Volunteer Ministers who have been in Peru for most of the past month helping the survivors of the 7.9 earthquake.

If you can help with donations, or join the relief effort, contact the Volunteer Ministers Consultant at vm@volunteerministers.org

Or if you can volunteer your time they will train you, using the Scientology Handbook, and see that you get the help you need to succeed as a VM.

Effective Help

2007-09-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

The video of Mr. David Miscavige's presentation This is Scientology is a powerful overview of the Scientology religion, including many effective programs that get results. The Volunteer Minister program is one, with Volunteer Ministers all over the world bringing real help to people.

Help Needed in Peru

2007-08-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

There's a Volunteer Ministers team forming up in the City of Ica in Peru to help in the aftermath of the magnitude-8 earthquake that hit there yesterday morning.

Anyone who can go is urged to contact the Volunteer Ministers Consultant at vm@volunteerministers.org

You will need to provide your own transportation there and back. Donations are being collected to fund the team on the ground, and anyone who can donate should also contact the VM Consultant.

More than 450 people were killed and 1500 injured and there are shortages of food, medical supplies and medical help. So anything you can do to help is really needed.

Volunteer Ministers

2007-08-13T21:44:00.001-07:00

Scientology Volunteer Ministers brought to Bari, Italy an effective technology to get rid of crime in the area. This technology is now used throughout the world to rehabilitate criminals so they can become ethical and contributing members of society again.

Volunteer Ministers Effective Actions

2007-07-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers train medical personnel and others on the effective technology of Scientology assists to help people in disasters and other situations. For information on this go to www.scientologyhandbook.org.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in India

2007-03-25T23:39:00.000-07:00

See this page for the latest news on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of India giving real help to the National Disaster Response Force. www.scientologyhandbook.org

Central European Goodwill Tour

2007-03-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Central European Goodwill tour is accomplishing great results. Recent news on this is at www.scientologyhandbook.org.

What is Scientology?

2007-03-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

This page What is Scientology has a link at the top left to news on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in action throughout the world.

Scientology Handbook Results

2007-02-26T18:17:00.000-08:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers use technology from the Scientology Handbook to bring effective help to people all over the world. See recent news on this.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in the World

2007-02-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers operate on a world-wide scale, bringing effective results to people. This page has under the news section, information on their activities in the South Pacific, India, Siberia and Botswana, as well as Louisiana and Mississippi in the U.S. www.scientologyreligion.org

Scientology Volunteer Ministers News

2007-02-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

This page has the latest news on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in action in Florida and India. Wherever they go they live the motto "Something can be done about it." www.scientologyhandbook.org

Florida Volunteeer Ministers

2007-02-15T22:38:00.000-08:00

This page has the latest information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Florida.
www.scientologyhandbook.org

India Firefighters

2007-02-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

There is news on firefighters in India using technology from the Scientology Handbook to help their people. More information on this is at www.scientologyhandbook.org.

Winning in Life

2007-02-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

The Church of Scientology has technology for creating and maintaining successful relationships through communication. This is one of the areas in which Scientology Volunteer Ministers provide help to people. Information on this can be found at www.scientologyhandbook.org.

Volunteer Ministers Abroad

2007-02-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

There is news on Scientology Volunteer Ministers in action in Fiji, Botswana, Calcutta and Siberia at www.scientologyreligion.org, under News and Articles.

Volunteer Ministers in Action

2007-02-01T23:10:00.000-08:00

This page has the latest news on Scientology Volunteer Ministers including a activities in Romania and Taiwan. www.scientologytoday.org

Help for Children in India

2007-01-31T21:08:00.000-08:00

In the slums of Kolkata, where the spread of disease puts the children at risk, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Center of West Bengal teams up with health care providers to help children get free, basic medical care and the "spiritual first aid" that makes the Volunteer Minister program unique. See the story on this under Scientology News at www.scientology.org.au

Ups and Downs in Life

2007-01-30T21:16:00.000-08:00

There is a specific cause for having unexplained ups and downs in life - happy one day and down the next, like a roller-coaster. There is a solution to this in the Scientology Handbook, chapter Overcoming Ups and Downs. The web page on this is www.scientologyhandbook.org.

Volunteer Ministers Expansion

2007-01-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

Mr. David Miscavige is a leader constantly puts into application the technology of Scientology to achieve broad-scale solutions. This includes the tremendous expansion of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers help force, bringing effectuve help to people everywhere. Here is a page about Mr. Miscavige: www.scientologytoday.org/corp/rtc2.htm

Scientology Volunteer Ministers

2007-01-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

This page has a good section on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, who use Scientology technology to bring about life-changing betterment for people all over the world. www.scientologyhandbook.org

Technology that Works

2007-01-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

Scientology technology works and it is for everyone who wishes to receive and give real help. This page describes it well. www.scientologyreligion.org

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Action

2007-01-23T19:19:00.000-08:00

All over the world, there are Scientology churches and missions that have active Scientology Volutneer Minsters programs.

Here's a story of a recent VM disaster relief team in the Philippines.

There's news throughout the week at the Scientology Press Office.

Solutions

2007-01-23T18:42:00.000-08:00

This page is about effective solutions that are brought about by application of Scientology technology. It really gets results. www.scientologyreligion.org

Australian Volunteers

2007-01-22T23:34:00.000-08:00

You know if was Scientlogy volunteer ministers , organized by the Scientology churches in Australia that set off for the Philippines and Indonesia when disaster struck over the past four months.

Can you imagine, just packing up and traveling thousands of miles to live in cold or wet, crowded temporary shelters and helping people who have lost so many loved ones?

But speaking to some of the guys who went it was the most rewarding thing they have ever done.

Mr. David Miscavige

2007-01-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

Mr. David Miscavige is a remarkable man who has achieved tremendous results in bettering conditions in this world on a large scale. This includes his support of the Volunteer Ministers, the largest effective help movement which operates all over the world. The page that has good information on Mr. Miscavige is www.scientologytoday.org/corp/rtc2.htm

New Scientology Volunteer Ministers Web Site

2007-01-19T01:32:00.000-08:00

I was so happy to read the good news of how the new Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site is expanding the movement.

I follow the news of the VMs on the Scientology Press Office. I always look forward to the next installment. Sure I'm proud to be a Scientologist and a Volunteer Minister myself, but more important, and the reason I became a VM (and a Scientologist) -- when he see how much L. Ron Hubbard's technology helps people, you naturally want to share it. That's one of the best things about Scientology -- sure it makes you feel better. Sure it even makes you live a better (spelled "more ethical") life. But where I really think it's special is the way it helps you help others.

Haven't you ever been in a position where you knew a friend or your boyfriend or girlfriend or sister or neighbor needed help, and you tried to help them but it didn't help them at all? I sure have.

And when I got into Scientology and realized that I now really knew how to help people, and I tried it and it worked -- you couldn't scrape me off the cieling for days!

And it's just like David Miscavige said in "This is Scientology" -- "it's all with no desire or wish for anything in return — other than the satisfaction of an indiscriminate act of kindness and compassion."

Working to Establish the Rights of Minorities in India

2007-01-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

The Scientology News Room has this story about the work of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in India

As we begin 2007, one of the milestones of the year will be the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of independence for the Republic of India.

In celeration of 'National Day of Minority Rights,' Mohammed. Khalil Ullah met with a group of the top Muslim clerics of India and briefed them on the human rights campaign Scientologists are carrying out in India and around the world.

The 2nd most populous country on Earth, India presents a tremendous human rights challenge, with an historically rigid caste system and a lack of opportunity for the members of various religious, ethnic and linguistic groups that live within its borders.

Recognizing the importance of integrating and empowering members of the many different minorities, who number in the hundreds of millions, the government designates one day in December each year as the National Day of Minority Rights.

The Scientologists were guests of honor at an event held by the agency responsible for promotion of the Urdu Language in India, where Mr. Ullah and his team distributed hundreds of human rights booklets to those attending.

The dream of human rights in India is not a new one. In fact Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the country, made it a central issue for the new government, stating:

"The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

"And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart. Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this One World that can no longer be split into isolated fragments."

Mohammed Khalil Ullah, the lead Scientology Volunteer Minister of West Bengal, and his team of Volunteer Ministers (VMs), celebrated Minority Rights Day and the weeks just following it, by promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration was adopted in 1948 by the United Nations in recognition that "...the inherent dignity and...the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world."

On New Years Eve, Mr. Ullah was one of 104 pepople to be acknowledged by David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center for his work to introduce new people to the work of L. Ron Hubbard and the Scientology religion in his country.

Mr. David Miscavige

2007-01-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

Mr. David Miscavige is a driving force forwarding major actions to bring freedom to the current civilization. Included in these actions are expansion of the most effective help force on this planet, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers. The St. Petersburg Times interview of Mr. Miscavige is an interesting outline of how he came to be a leader. www.sptimes.com/TampaBay/102598/scientologypart1.html

What is Scientology?

2007-01-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

The web page What is Scientology? has important data on Scientology Volunteer Ministers. It can be found at www.whatisscientology.org.

Emotional Ups and Downs

2007-01-10T04:39:00.000-08:00

Volunteer Ministers use the technology given in the Scientology Handbook to bring effective help to people everywhere. This includes helping someone get off the emotional seesaw of doing well one day and badly the next.

Further information can be found at http://www.scientologyhandbook.org/.

2007-01-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion once said “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.” Scientologists of India have taken this on as their personal mission — to create a better life for the people of their nation. Find out about this at www.volunteerministers.org.

Assists

2007-01-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

Scientology Volunteer Ministers deliver many assists, which greatly speed up recovery from physical and spiritual situations.

With the Scientology Handbook you can learn how to help relieve suffering and enable others to recover much more quickly with assists.

Find out about this at www.scientologyhandbook.org.

Volunteer Ministers in India

2007-01-07T20:44:00.000-08:00

Through the use of Scientology technology, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been bringing effective help to the people of India. More data on this is at www.scientologytoday.org.

Volunteer Ministers Featured at New Years Event

2007-01-01T23:27:00.000-08:00

I was really glad to see, once again, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers featured in David Miscavige's keynote address at the 2007 New Years Event.

Mr. Miscavige spoke of the VMs in India and the incredible work they are doing in Kolkata.

I've been following the news of this group through the Scientology Press Office and it's true. They are an amazing group of people.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers - Castillian

2006-12-31T19:56:00.000-08:00

This is a video in Castillian Spanish of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in action - the most effective help movement on earth.

Happy New Year to the VMs in the Disaster Zone

2006-12-30T00:27:00.000-08:00

I am so impressed with the Scientology Volunteer Ministers who have given up their entire winter holidays to help the people of the Philippines recover from Typhoon Durian.

It's not easy to pick up and go to a disaster zone like that. And I've heard the volutneers are having to support themselves there, for the most part. But I know how rewarding it is to be able to really help people. And that's reward enough.

If you can help sponsor a Scientology Volunteer Minister, ever if only a few dollars here and there, you should fill out the form on this page

Scientology Volunteer Ministers

2006-12-29T21:04:00.000-08:00

For information about what the Scientology Volunteer Ministers do and how they achieve consistent remarkable positive results, see www.scientologyhandbook.org.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers

2006-12-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

There is a growing movement of thousands of people who are dedicated to bringing real help and effective results to people, including victims of disasters. They are the Scientology Volunteer Ministers. They exemplify the principle Something can be done about it. See www.volunteerministers.org.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers - Spanish

2006-12-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in the Spanish language. This is the most effective worldwide help movement.

Volunteer Ministers Remembered

2006-12-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

On September 11, 2006, the Church of Scientology of New York’s Volunteer Ministers were honored for their help in the aftermath of the 911 terrorist attack. The certificate signed by the Attorney General of New York reads as follows:

“Whereas, it is the tradition of the State of New York to pay tribute to those organizations that profoundly contribute to the well-being of the community and its residents; and

“Whereas, on this 5th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Office of the Attorney General deems it right and fitting to reflect on and remember the victims who were lost and the pain of the loved ones who were left behind, as well as to salute those who have worked tirelessly to provide relief and promote long term recovery; and

“Whereas, though New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania were physically impacted, citizens from coast to coast and around the world were deeply touched by the profoundness of this tragedy; and

“Whereas, though the wounds will never fully heal and the grief may never be comforted, we know that our humanity has not been defeated and that we will continue to help each other rebuild and move forward; and

“Whereas, the Church of Scientology, and other national faith-based response agencies who have devoted their time, energy and resources to victims and their families are to be commended for their tremendous acts of compassion and goodwill, and

“Whereas, these organizations continue to be beacons of hope for countless families and individuals who have been affected by mass tragedy; and

“Whereas, the positive impact of their countless good works, that promote healing and restore dignity in the face of adversity, is truly immeasurable; now therefore be it

“Resolved, that the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York recognizes the Church of Scientology, and their tremendous efforts on behalf of those in need.”

Signed

Eliot Spitzer
Attorney General
September 11, 2006

Scientology Volunteer Ministers German

2006-12-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

This video is narrated in German for those who speak that language. It is the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in action, bringing effective help and relief to thousands through the world.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers - French

2006-12-19T18:35:00.000-08:00

For those who speak French, here is the Scientology Volunteer Ministers video in French. This is the most effective help movement in existence.

Study Technology

2006-12-18T20:09:00.000-08:00

One of the ways a Volunteer Minister can help someone to learn, understand and apply what they have learned is through the Technology of Study as outlined in the Scientology Handbook Chapter 1. This vital technology saves lives.